The North Carolina basketball program has another departure, with forward Drake Powell making the decision to declare for the 2025 NBA Draft after one season.
The former 5-star recruit, who starred at Pittsboro’s Northwood High, helped the Tar Heels make a late run in the 2024-25 season to reach the NCAA tournament. Powell started 24 games as a freshman for the Heels, averaging 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds.
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News of Powell leaving for the NBA was reported Wednesday on his Instagram account.
“The decision was nowhere near easy,” Powell wrote on the IG account.
Several mock NBA drafts have Powell, a versatile 6-foot-6 wing, potentially being a late first-round pick.
“I have learned so much on and off the court,” Powell wrote on IG. “I was born and bred a Tar Heel, and to have the opportunity to put on that uniform, run through that tunnel and compete for the University that I love is a feeling that is unmatched and I will never take for granted. …
“However, competing at the highest level has always been the ultimate goal.”
The 2025 NBA Draft is Wednesday, June 25, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.